Schwien Grabs URSS Win At RPM Speedway

OBERLIN, KS (Aug 11) - The United Rebel Sprint Series rolled into the RPM Speedway Saturday night for their appearance of the 2007 Season and when the checkered flags flew it was the twelfth different driver to claim a win in the eighteen races that have been ran this Season. Russell Kansas native Justin Schwien grabbed the victory with a dominant drive.

A pair of Ransom, Kansas drivers brought the field to the green with pole-sitter Reed Bernbeck and Ken Lutters on his outside. As the field came to the line to complete the first lap, Schwien had catapulted from his eight starting position to grab the lead followed by Ken Lutters, Bernbeck, tenth place starter Jon Johnson and Corey Lutters rounding out the top five. By lap three Johnson had made quick work and moved to the runner up spot.

Back in the field, current URSS point leader Smokey Fairbank had worked his way from his ninth starting spot to grab the fifth position from Corey Lutters with Doug Roth hot on Lutters heels. By far the best battle on the track was between Cody Salem, Randy Bantam, Travis Decker and Mark Bantam as the quartet swapped spots back and forth lap after lap.

The battle for the third spot heated up as Smokey Fairbank and Roth both turned up the heat on Ken Lutters. Lap sixteen saw the duo of Fairbank and Roth finally make the pass on Lutters for the position. Lap nineteen saw the caution fly for a multi-car tangle in turn three which ended the night for the cars of Salem, Randy Bantam, Bernbeck. Everyone was okay but the same could not be said for their racecars.

On the restart, Schwien and Johnson jumped out to battle for the lead as Roth made his around Fairbank for the third spot with the father son duo of Ken and Corey Lutters battling for the fifth spot. Johnson tried everything he could to catch Schwein as the pair diced their way around the 3/8 mile oval, with the “Kansas Tornado” using just about line available to make his way past Schwien.

As the checkers waived, Schwien took his first win of the 2007 Season with Johnson taking the runner up spot followed by Roth, Smokey Fairbank and Ken Lutters rounding out the top five. Schwien celebrated his win with a couple of well-deserved doughnuts on the front straightaway as the crowd cheered him on.

Heat Race winners were Smokey Fairbank, Justin Schwien and Ken Lutters.

The Weld Racing Wheels “Hard Charger Award” went to Jon Johnson who came from his tenth place starting position to claim the runner up spot.

A-Main – 1) Schwien, 2) Johnson, 3) Roth, 4) S. Fairbank, 5) K. Lutters, 6) C. Lutters, 7) J. Radcliffe, 8) Perkins, 9) J. Fairbank, 10) M. Bantam, 11) Fair, 12) Hays, 13) D. Thyfault, 14) Salem, 15) R. Bantam, 16) Bernbeck, 17) Decker, 18) Keiswetter